ROCOR Hopes Constantinople Not to Grant Ukraine Church Unlawful Status - First Hierarch
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2018) The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) hopes that Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople will not grant autocephaly to the Orthodox church in Ukraine by breaking canonical rules, its First Hierarch metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral) told Sputnik.
On Friday, the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided that Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia will cease commemoration of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. The move came in response to the Constantinople Patriarchate appointing its exarchs to Ukraine as "part of preparation to grant autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church."
"It is a very strong statement," Hilarion said on Monday, referring to the decision of the Moscow Patriarchate.